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 Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:18 pm
So, right now Cambria was feeling quite a bit like a coward. A coward and a quitter and she wasn’t too happy with the feeling. She had skipped on out of the big invasion of everything…and here she was, bounding her way in to Zacks’ apartment. Because that made her seriously the best kind of hero.
But sometimes…wasn’t it better to take care of yourself first? If you didn’t take care of yourself, how could you go about helping to protect everyone else? It was a pretty normal idea, right? It felt wrong at the same time as it felt almost natural so…
So she wasn’t too worried.
The black haired young woman used her key in the door and flung it open, planting a smile firmly on her face. “Zack! I’ve come to see you! Let’s go get dinner or something, I’m starving.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:30 pm
At first, the house was totally still, and then Evan stepped into the living room hesitantly, tugging his 'pajama sweater' on. He was almost always wearing some sort of sweater or jacket, but it was clear he had just changed into it.
"I thought I heard you, Cambria. Uh, Zack…isn't here right now. But if you wanna get comfortable, I'll cook you something real quick. I just got home, but I've got the stove on. Zack texted me that he had some errands to run, like, an hour ago, but I figure he's not going to be out for too long. I think he went home, or…"
His brows furrowed and he shrugged. "Or something, I don't know. He's been kind of distant, I guess. Uh. Well, I don't know. It's probably just me."
He dragged himself across the living room towards the kitchen. "—If you wanna stick around, I can make you a snack while you wait for him, maybe? I mean. I wouldn't mind."
Evan flashed her a quick, almost hopeful look; he was definitely lonely and would have loved the company, but he always felt like such a nag for asking.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:53 pm
“Oh.” Cambria almost frowned, almost. But, at least Evan was here…if Zack wasn’t well. At least she didn’t have to be alone. And Evans cooking was better than most if not all of the restaurants she had ever been to, so. In a way, wasn’t she getting the better end of the deal with just hanging with Evan?
Oh yeah.
The black haired woman smiled and nodded, walking towards the kitchen as well, wrapping an arm around Evan’s waist and giving him a little squeeze. “I’d love to stick around. Maybe we can watch a movie or something? And cuddle. I do like cuddling.”
And cuddling with Evan was like a big teddy bear, and she liked that. It would be a great distraction over what she had run off from…what she had left Adria to deal with all on his own.
The thought made her stomach twist, but there was nothing she could do now…thought..just where was Zack…? What if he was out there too…but…no. No that wasn’t anything that could happen. That was silly.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:05 pm
Evan seemed to instantly relax when she took him up on the offer; his whole body posture eased and he flashed a more earnest smile. "Yeah—that sounds great, actually."
He walked with her into the kitchen and started preparing the meal, but glanced over at her. "…Are you okay? You…you seem like you've got something on your mind."
His eyes scanned her face quickly, brows knit with his own worry. He wasn't always the best with picking things up, but he had been walking on eggshells for a while, now.
"…Is something going on?"
…Of course, it couldn’t be with her and Zack. Not if she'd come here wanting to hang out with him. But Evan was worried about the other life she was living. He'd had his fair share of trauma from that whole war thing—and he wasn't even powered. He imagined it had to be so much worse for her to power up and deal with that every night.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:56 pm
“I’m okay.” The words tumbled out before she had a chance to think about them, or even consider telling him the truth.
Cambria sighed heavily and finally just nodded when he asked if something was going on. Because something was going on. “Ev…Yeah. There are some things going on. Honestly, I do think it would be safer if you didn’t know anything about it…since you’re not a part of any of this but…”
But she wanted to talk about it. She wanted to be told she wasn’t a coward and she wanted to be told everything was going to be fine.
“So…there was this guy that came from somewhere, and offered to give us a way to get back at the Negaverse…ah, the bad guys in this war…anyway…I left. I left before they went into the stronghold and…and I left my friends to fend for themselves…but I didn’t want to die. I guess…I guess I was just afraid. So…Yup. That’s what’s going on.”
She pulled away from him and went to sit at the kitchen table, laying her face on her arms after a moment. “I’m just a coward.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:06 pm
Evan listened quietly, watching Cambria. He was cooking dinner, but he moved robotically, sometimes without even looking; he knew this kitchen well, and it was a meal he had obviously had a lot of experience making.
Of course, it was macaroni and cheese—his comfort food.
There was a lump in his throat, though, and his hand shook just a bit. He knew this whole thing was dangerous. But hearing her talk like that…
"I don't think that makes you a coward. I think it makes you smart. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I mean, Zack's been pulling away from me."
He didn't like to admit it, and his eyes immediately went to the food he was preparing, but he continued, "Eventually he's not going to have any time for me at all. And I don't have that many friends. You're pretty much my best friend. I think you did the right thing by leaving. Too many people would miss you if something happened. Me and Zack especially."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 10:14 pm
Cambria drew in a deep breath. Yeah. Yeah he was right. She had been better off not going into the dangerous thing, not doing the dangerous thing and coming home. Only…the person she had wanted to see so desperately wasn’t even here…Evan was though, and he was just as good…but she wanted Zack. She wanted her rock.
Finally, the black haired woman looked up not doing much in the way of moving, simply shifting her head on her arms. “Hey. Evan? Do you think Zack might secretly be a senshi or something? I mean…what if he’s down there fighting…? What if he’s doing something heroic…and I’m sitting here being a little coward s**t and eating delicious food with you? What if something happens to him because he’s there and I don’t know he’s there…”
Her lip trembled slightly and she closed her eyes. “Evan…what if he’s just with his friends though. The bad ones that you keep trying to hide from me. Honestly I’d rather that be what he’s doing. Normal. Illegal, yeah…but normal…”
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 10:29 pm
Evan swallowed and shifted awkwardly when he mentioned his friends, but the tried to just laugh it off. "Zack? A hero? Nah, he's not like that. I mean, sometimes he'll go out of his way to stick his neck out for someone else, but I really can't see him being a senshi or something. It just doesn't seem like it's in his blood, you know? Plus." He wore a small, knowing smile. "I'd know if he had one of those pens like yours. I do all his laundry, and I've already found all his dirty secrets. He'd have to work really hard to hide something from me. So don't worry about him. Probably just out with friends. Or running errands or something. I did text him to ask if he could pick up some cooking oil. You know he's taking it easy after that whole…thing."
The thing where Zack came home after being missing for nearly a week, scuffed up, bruised and strangely solemn. He might have tried to laugh it off, but he bristled and got defensive whenever they dug too deeply. He'd said he just lost track of time with friends, and wound up out of the city for a few days with a dead cell phone.
It was a convenient excuse, and no one had proved him wrong.
He pretended like the bruises weren't there most of the time, but laughed it off as rough housing.
But Evan knew it was a lie, even if he didn't say as much to Cambria.
He didn't want her to worry then, and he didn't want her to worry now.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 10:48 pm
“Yeah…I mean, I guess.” Why wouldn’t he just come clean about Zacks bad pack of friends…she just wanted to know…she wanted to hear it from someone…someone other than the police coming to her door telling her he’d been arrested or something. “Evan…just tell me the s**t he gets into. He won’t. And I know you know, because you always tell me that you know, so please just tell me so I can know so I don’t have to keep worrying myself sick all the time wondering where he is, or who he’s with or who they’re ******** or what drugs they’re doing.”
Cambria raised her head, and tried to shoot Evan a fierce look…though she dropped it a moment later and let her head fall back onto her arms.
“You got any booze? I think I want to get a little drunk.”
This was Zack's place. Of course there was booze.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 10:54 pm
This was not a conversation Evan wanted to have—especially when he knew Zack would be furious with him if he ever found out. And he knew Cambria would have to confront him if she knew. It was just in her nature.
He was happy for any time he could get, so when she asked for booze, it was as good of a stall as any. "Y-yeah, you know where it is. Help yourself," he said, gesturing both to the cabinet and the refrigerator.
He swallowed, still trying to debate what he could tell her without getting himself in trouble with her or Zack.
"It's not…as bad as you think, though. In high school, he kinda…just had this thing he'd do for extra cash. It was illegal, but he was careful. He never got caught. He's been cleaning up his act, but he's just got a few loose ends. I mean—you know, despite his sweet face, he almost cut it as a bouncer before he got his bartender gig, so he's really able to take care of him. You should have seen him, back when he was getting into trouble? Guys twice his size were scared of him. He can handle himself, and he's mostly out of that scene. He's careful, now."
He looked at her. "Now, he's got things to lose. He doesn’t wanna mess that up."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 11:22 pm
Cambria gave him a look that clearly said she had wanted him to bring her a wonderful boozy mixed drink, and he had totally failed her in this moment, before she sighed heavily and got up, walking to the fridge and pulling herself out a beer. “Well…that’s cool I guess. I mean…so long as he’s happy and he doesn’t give me any STI’s or anything, I guess I’m pretty okay with whatever. Mostly.” She cracked open the bottle and began to drink, not stopping until the ugly brown bottle was completely devoid of all of its contents.
“Speaking of that, Evan…how about you and me get tipsy and make out until Zack comes home, okay? That sounds like a plan if it sounds like a plan to you.”
She was teasing. Mostly. But, after what had happened last time…she wouldn’t be opposed to such an arrangement.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 11:34 pm
Evan looked up at her and seemed embarrassed—squeamish. "Cambria," he said, exasperated. "You and Zack might think that it's always a good time to make out, but food requires delicate care, and I just can't afford to get tipsy and distracted, or all this macaroni and cheese is going to go to waste. You know how important mac and cheese is," he added, almost sternly.
But Evan was making excuses, and he was bad at it. He was afraid that any little thing he did not could set Zack off. Things hadn't been the same since he'd come back, and Evan was worried that meant he might be getting kicked out, soon. All Zack talked about, if he even talked to Evan at all…
Was her.
And for as wonderful as Cambria was to him, Evan was starting to feel like dead weight.
And even if he agreed to make out with Cambria and get tipsy, of course Zack would walk in then and pick a fight.
So, no thank you.
He smiled at her, instead. "But if you want to go pick out a movie, I'll meet you on the couch in a few minutes. We can make a nest, snuggle under some blankets, and watch movies and eat mac and cheese until he comes home, deal? —And if you want hot chocolate or an ice cream sundae, I'll make you one?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 10:22 pm
Cambria watched him for a long minute, finally just giving in and shrugging. “If that’s what you really want, Evan, than fine. No making out…I do like movies, and I do like your mac and cheese…so yeah. Okay.” It wasn’t her ideal outcome…but what was she going to do? Force herself on this guy? No. That was rude and awful and whatever.
Snuggling was never a bad thing. She loved Evan almost as much as she loved Zack, and really couldn’t imagine the goofball not being around. That would be just awful.
“I’ll be waiting for you on the couch, buddy. I love you.” With that said, she walked away, putting in what she knew was Evan’s favorite movie and squishing herself deep into the comfortable couch. Ready for some snuggle time with one of her best friends.
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Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 10:47 pm
Evan watched as she left, worried for a moment that he might have said something wrong—but he was on edge and paranoid. Cambria was sweet in all the ways that Zack wasn't, and he could have melted if he'd taken the time to stop and think about what she was saying.
She said she loved him.
And he knew it wasn't a weird, drama-filled confession that would have left him questioning if he was cheating on his ex (what?) or if she was cheating on him, or if there was some weird love triangle—or all those things that would make his head hurt.
It was just a nice, honest, statement, and it was something he hadn't heard in so long that it almost hurt when she said.
And he smiled, and wished the mac and cheese would cook just a little faster, because he couldn’t think of anywhere he'd rather be than curled up on the couch. Especially when he head the very familiar tune of his favorite movie's menu screen.
Cambria was perfect in all the ways Zack wasn't, and he hated how much he loved both of them and how perfect they were together.
But he had Mac and Cheese, and a nice couch, and a good movie, and a best friend, and that was good for tonight.
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